Nats' entire minor league coaching staff returns for 2017

Nats' entire minor league coaching staff returns for 2017
The Nationals announced there were no major adjustments to their minor league coaching staff for 2017, with each level retaining the same coaches as they had in 2016. The exception was strength and conditioning, where a number of coaches were promoted or assigned more responsibility. Mike Warren was named strength and conditioning coach at Triple-A Syracuse. Brett Henry was promoted from Syracuse to the major league strength and conditioning staff. Tony Rogowski was promoted from Double-A...

Koda Glover on his desire to face big hitters in key moments

Koda Glover on his desire to face big hitters in key moments
Fans have been excited to see right-hander Koda Glover make a meteoric rise to the big leagues this season. With Glover, they have had a chance to see the focus the youngster brings to his job - that closer mentality and killer instinct - used to get each hitter he faces out. Glover started this season for high Single-A Potomac and pitched for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse before joining the Nationals. Just last season he pitched for NCAA Division I Oklahoma State, got drafted in...

Solis can close, start or specialize, plus minors notes (updated)

Solis can close, start or specialize, plus minors notes (updated)
Left-hander Sammy Solis can be a viable option as interim closer for the Nationals. Left-hander Sammy Solis can be a spot starter. Both of these proclamations hold true. Solis has swing-and-miss stuff in the mid-90s that can be a weapon in the ninth inning. Solis also began his career as a starter. He logged 38 starts over 64 appearances while in the minor leagues. He has already gone 1-2 with a 1.52 ERA in 19 appearances this season. In 23 2/3 innings, Solis has 29 strikeouts. His WHIP is an...

Fedde has solid outing for Hagerstown, Hearn shows upside for Auburn

Fedde has solid outing for Hagerstown, Hearn shows upside for Auburn
Right-hander Erick Fedde has made a positive first step this season as he rebounds from Tommy John surgery. The 22-year-old UNLV product was the Nationals' first-round selection in 2014 and then immediately had the ligament replacement procedure. Although Fedde gave up six runs in his first low Single-A start on Aug. 11, he did quite well in his most recent outing, not allowing a run over 4 2/3 innings innings as Hagerstown lost to Hickory 3-2 in 11 innings. Fedde allowed only four hits and...

Stevenson excelling at Hagerstown after big season for LSU

Stevenson excelling at Hagerstown after big season for LSU
Outfielder Andrew Stevenson has already been promoted from short-season Single-A Auburn to low Single-A Hagerstown. The 2015 second-round selection from Louisiana State played in the College World Series and gained valuable experience by playing for a top-flight collegiate program in the Southeastern Conference. The SEC had four teams earn trips to the College World Series in Omaha to start this summer (LSU, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Florida). Stevenson was already a highly rated centerfield...

Espinosa adjusts to new role as utility hitter (updated)

Espinosa adjusts to new role as utility hitter (updated)
With the return of three starters, players like Danny Espinosa have had to go back to their utility role planned from opening day. Espinosa is extremely valuable because of his defensive ability and has had a pretty good season at the plate. Obviously, he went through a tough period beginning in late June, but despite the loss Friday, had a solid night at the plate. Espinosa went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and a hit by pitch. On Wednesday, he started at shortstop going 0-4 with a...

Rendon rehabs in Bowie; Valdez shines for Potomac

Rendon rehabs in Bowie; Valdez shines for Potomac
Anthony Rendon (oblique) played seven innings at second base in Double-A Harrisburg's 3-2 win at Bowie Friday night. He notched a single in four at-bats. Colin Bates pitched six innings, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs. Brian Goodwin smacked a home run, Pedro Severino contributed a RBI single and Tony Renda was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to give the Senators the lead. Next up for Rendon could be back-to-back rehab games to test his core again and see if he is ready to join...

New team store unveiled tonight, Nationals minor leaguer allows no hits for seven frames

New team store unveiled tonight, Nationals minor leaguer allows no hits for seven frames
The Nationals will unveil their brand new team store tonight prior to their series opener against the Yankees. The new store is nearly double the size of the previous store and is located behind right-center field under the Lot C garage. You can also access the store from the street during non-game days. The first 25,000 fans to enter the ballpark through all tonight will receive a special 10-year anniversary tote bag presented by MLB Network. The Nationals also open up the Virginia Country...

Syracuse and Hagerstown rosters announced for 2015

Syracuse and Hagerstown rosters announced for 2015
The Syracuse Chiefs, the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, have set their roster for 2015 and it includes several players worth watching. Tony Gwynn Jr., Ian Stewart and Kila Ka'aihue are among the former major league position players on the club while top prospect A.J. Cole will pitch for the Chiefs. Here's the full roster: Pitchers (13)Bruce Billings A.J. ColeManny DelcarmenEric FornataroMatt GraceTaylor HillTaylor JordanMitch LivelyRich HillRafael MartinScott McGregor Evan MeekFelipe...

Nationals early camp capsule: Jakson Reetz and Jorge Tillero

Nationals early camp capsule: Jakson Reetz and Jorge Tillero
Let's check up on a couple of catchers from the Nationals' early camp. Today, we will focus on 2014 third-round selection Jakson Reetz and undrafted free agent Jorge Tillero. The 19-year-old Reetz is from Hickman, Neb., (population 1,657) and is showing a power bat in spring training as he did last season for the Gulf Coast League Nats. He attended Norris High School. Hickman is 15 minutes south of Lincoln and a 73-minute drive southwest of Omaha. Reetz hit .274 in 43 games in the GCL, with...

Drew Ward makes first major league spring start at third base today for Nats

Drew Ward makes first major league spring start at third base today for Nats
Every day is special for prospects who get to work with the big leaguers at spring training. Today is an even bigger day for 20-year-old third baseman Drew Ward, who makes his first start in spring training with the major league club as the Nationals take on the Yankees. The game will be aired on MASN HD at 1 p.m. "It's a big deal," low Single-A Hagerstown manager Patrick Anderson said. News of Ward's first start today was big news at his church, not to mention the entire small town of...

Nationals minor league affiliates primer: Potomac and Harrisburg open at home (updated)

Nationals minor league affiliates primer: Potomac and Harrisburg open at home (updated)
Opening day for the Nationals is April 6. The minor league affiliates also begin that week with all starting April 9, except for short-season Single-A Auburn, which begins in late June. Here are thumbnail primers for each of the minor league clubs as they get ready to begin their 2015 campaigns: Short-season Single-A Auburn DoubledaysSchedule: http://www.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t458 Home: Falcon Park II, Auburn, N.Y. Distance from Nationals Park: 383 milesSeason opener: June 19 at...

Bloxom transitions from player to newest Nationals amateur scout

Bloxom transitions from player to newest Nationals amateur scout
Former Nationals minor league first baseman Justin Bloxom has traded in his cleats and glove for an opportunity to find the top prospects in the country and sign them to the Nats. Bloxom has been hired by the Nationals to be their amateur scout for the Kentucky and Tennessee regions. The 26-year-old Bloxom played six seasons in the Nationals system, but realized the final couple of years that he would need to transition into a new line of work. As he searched for a new position, he knew that he...

Baseball America No. 8 Nats prospect: Wilmer Difo

Baseball America No. 8 Nats prospect: Wilmer Difo
There are few Nationals prospects that get more buzz when I talk to coaches, scouts and baseball people in the know than infielder Wilmer Difo. He splashed on the scene for me last year when I interviewed strength and conditioning coordinator Landon Brandes on the Nationals prospects annual strength and conditioning camp. Brandes said Difo was the top total points leader in the camp in three competitions: team conditioning, team weight lifting and individual weight lifting. Difo played very...

Baseball America No. 9 Nats prospect: Drew Ward

Baseball America No. 9 Nats prospect: Drew Ward
This offseason is exciting as we look ahead to the potential of 20-year-old third baseman Drew Ward. He is a 6-foot-4, 210-lb. infielder from a town of about 440 in central Oklahoma. Ward hit 10 homers last year, after hitting one in 2013 for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals, and added an impressive 73 RBIs. The 2013 third-rounder could be one of those future power bats the Nationals covet. After Steven Souza Jr. was traded and Tyler Moore is potentially in the big leagues for good, Matt...

Matt Purke begins his throwing program

Matt Purke begins his throwing program
Left-hander Matt Purke has started his throwing program as he rehabilitates from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old says the program commenced Tuesday and started with soft tosses. "I felt really good and (am) excited to be back out on the field," the southpaw reported via text message. Purke said he will gradually build up his throwing over time. He still has plenty of time before spring training begins. Purke was signed to a minor league contract on Nov. 18, five days after being taken off...

Baseball Prospectus No. 9 Nats prospect: Rafael Bautista

Baseball Prospectus No. 9 Nats prospect: Rafael Bautista
Our next Nationals farmhand on the Baseball Prospectus top 10 organizational prospects list brings us to great speed in the outfield and a steady bat. No. 9: Center fielder Rafael Bautista Bautista had an impressive season for the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns. In 134 games, Bautista stole 69 stolen bases, which ranked first in the South Atlantic League by a wide margin. The 69 stolen bases also would have been the most in the Carolina League, Eastern League and International League. No runner...

Pace of play reaction from Arizona Fall League

Pace of play reaction from Arizona Fall League
Major League Baseball is looking into the length of games and studying to see if there is a way to speed up the contests without affecting the quality of play. This fall, MLB implemented pace of play rules in select Arizona Fall League games. There is a 20-second pitch clock and a time limit between innings of 125 seconds. There also are no-pitch intentional walks and only three meetings allowed at the mound. Mesa Solar Sox coach Patrick Anderson, who is the manager for the low Single-A...

Potomac a winner, Syracuse looking to get on the board

Potomac a winner, Syracuse looking to get on the board
The Nationals' minor league teams are in the middle of the playoffs. The Single-A Potomac Nationals advanced to the Mills Cup championship series with a 4-3 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats. The P-Nats swept the best-of-three series 2-0. It is their second straight appearance in the Mills Cup final. Last year, the P-Nats lost to Salem. Salem is facing Myrtle Beach in the other half of the draw. The winner of that matchup faces Potomac on Friday in game one of the championship series. Isaac...

Difo and Yezzo having big weeks in Hagerstown

Difo and Yezzo having big weeks in Hagerstown
Nationals prospect Wilmer Difo is riding a six-game hitting streak and continues to impress at low Single-A Hagerstown. He is batting .407 (11-for-27) in those six games. He had three hits at West Virginia and four hits against Kannapolis just in the last week. Difo hit a two-run shot to break a 4-4 tie in that Kannapolis game, and the Suns ended up winning 9-4. Hagerstown director of broadcasting/media relations Eli Pearlstein said Saturday's performance by Difo was the best he has seen this...